Pitzer Spotlights

Bianca Barragan '06, Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to South Korea

Bianca Barragan
'06 will be teaching English in South Korea.

Bianca Barragan ’06 did not think she had the level of patience, flexibility and creativity required to teach after her first teacher assistantship one summer. “I am an easy-going person, but after a week of breaking up fights, wiping teary eyes, and answering the complaints and questions of very curious parents, I was ready to quit,” Barragan explained.

Barragan, an English and World Literature major with a minor in Spanish, always thought she would be a writer. Her calling began to shift during her second summer as a teaching assistant and was later reinforced after teaching came into her life again during a Pitzer in Ecuador program.

“I like Pitzer and felt instantly comfortable here on campus, even though I initially wanted to distance myself because I grew up in a nearby town. I like the small classes and believe this lends itself to excellent class discussions, because the teachers and students know each other they respect each other’s opinions,” Barragan said. She considers Laura Harris and Marina Perez de Mendiola as highly inspirational and supportive professors.

Barragan still likes to read and is currently navigating her way through the works of Dorothy Parker, an authoress best known for essentially creating the "slice of life" short story. She would like to teach high school American literature when she returns from her Fulbright experience.